New Green Homes Grant - how you can access it!
Posted on 25th August 2020 at 09:04
Could you get up to £5,000 home insulation vouchers in the new Green Homes Grant?
The government announced new energy-saving grants, available for renovations including double glazing, energy-efficient doors and smart thermostats – but only if you install insulation or low-carbon heating too.
Homeowners in England will get up to £5,000 of government money to make their homes energy efficient, as part of a £3billion green jobs package announced in the Chancellor’s summer statement.
From September, homeowners and landlords can apply for vouchers to help to fund energy-saving home improvements, an amount which the Chancellor estimates will cover up to two thirds of costs per household.
For low income households, the government will provide vouchers to cover up to £10,000 of improvement works.
Rishi Sunak said the funding will help to make 650,000 homes more energy efficient while saving households £300 a year on bills. He also said the measures will be the carbon-cutting equivalent of taking 270,000 cars off the road while supporting around 140,000 green jobs.
How does it work?
The Government will pay at least two thirds of the cost of energy-saving private home improvements under the Green Homes Grant, due to launch in September and last for one year. This means that for an improvement costing £4,000 a homeowner would pay £1,320, while the Government would contribute the remaining £2,680.
Homeowners will apply online and be directed to accredited local suppliers, who will provide a quote. Once the work is approved, a voucher for the Government’s share of the cost will be issued.
Low income households will not have to contribute anything to the cost and could receive up to £10,000, Business Secretary Alok Sharma told the BBC earlier this week.
Which energy saving measures do the vouchers include?
You must install one energy-efficient improvement from the following list to qualify for the vouchers:
Insulation: solid wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, under-floor insulation, loft insulation, flat roof insulation, room in roof insulation, park home insulation
Air source heat pump
Ground source heat pump
Solar thermal
You can get top-up insulation (for example if you don’t already have the recommended amount). But the vouchers aren’t valid for replacing existing insulation or low-carbon heating.
You’ll need to have sufficient wall insulation to qualify for low carbon heating.
If you install one of these, you can also get vouchers for a secondary energy-saving measure:
Double glazing, triple glazing or secondary glazing (only when it is replacing single glazing)
Energy efficient doors (only if replacing doors installed before 2002)
Hot water tank thermostat or appliance thermostat
Hot water tank insulation
Smart heating controls, zone controls, thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)
Draught proofing
How do I apply for Green Homes Grant vouchers?
You’ll need to complete an online application for one of the recommended home improvements, get a quote from a listed supplier and have that quote approved before getting the voucher to spend.
Later this month the government’s Simple Energy Advice service will advise homeowners which energy-saving improvements they might be able to get funding for. You will have to choose from a list of registered tradespeople in your area to do the work, of which The Loft Access Compaby is one.
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Alok Sharma, Business and Energy Secretary, said: ‘Our TrustMark scheme will guarantee that building work is completed to a high standard by accredited tradespeople, ensuring consumers are fully protected’. TrustMark is a government-endorsed scheme for tradespeople. MCS stands for Microgeneration Certification Scheme. It certifies that low-carbon technologies that produce electricity and heat, and those who install them, meet certain quality standards.
Once the works are agreed, you will receive the vouchers. They will be issued from the end of September.
The Loft Access Company have over 22 years’ experience in all things loft related - including insulation, window installation, loft boarding and much more. If have any other questions or would like to book in a no-obligation survey, please get in touch. Thank you for reading!
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